Smyrna times., 1887-06-22


had met him in New York, and so posed q
his Oldest friend among the queerly cor
stituted trio that night, but we had a
been in Havana a month, and we ha
been together constantly, so that he wa
quite as well acquainted with the Englis
nobleman and the Chicago gambler a
with me.
When he finally got to our table h
pulled out Ehis little jeweled watch ant
said:
1T is beyond 12 O'Clock, and so we g
to the ball
!. When we got to the Tacon theatre
where the masked ball was going on, tn,
floor was crowded by men and women IL
carnival attire dancing a curious and sug
gestive Cuban waltz. We went in tn,
box Immediately over the governor gen
erals, in the second tier. In an instant
every head in the room was turned to
wards TOmasO
There was nothing new about the ball
1t was the same old series of wriggles anC
contOrtiOns which invariably characterize
the Cuban dance, and which make it in
It's vulgar form the grOsSest of known
! public amusements. We had all been uu
late the night before, and l am afraid
was rather sleepy. At all events. l dozed
OIL bit at the back of the box, while the
music .strummed away mOnotOnously.
| The others talked and watched the crowd.
1t must have been nearly O'Clock, when
young yachtsman pulled open the door
of the box, stuck half scared face in and
nodded significantly to Tomaso. The lat
ter raised his eyebrows perceptibly and
smiled his thanks for the warning. It
was evident that the duelist had arrived
The gambler pulled my sleeve and told
me in hoarse whisper. to wake up, but
the suggestion was not needed, for l saw
by the movement in the crowd that we
were i'll for the row at last. A crowd of
club men and IOungers surged in on the
moor, and with them was the hero of the
hour, with his face whittier than ever and
ms big eyes rolling from face to face. The
Englishman had evidently been thinking
deeply and he was very much perturbed.
AS the little group of FOUNDERS pushed
their way on the floor he arose and leaned
over the young Cuban with n more
tatherly air than l had ever seen him ex-
hibit before.
Il wish you would come home. nv
boy" he said, with a half sullen and half
husky voice Il feel like a criminal.
ought to have spanked you and put Won to
bed three hours ago. The trouble is that
the duel is such recognized institution
in these countries than an outsider can
never interfere, but it is a pity that Won
have to get into any sort Of a scrimmape
with that white faced cat down there on
the floor"
1t must be, you know said the
youngster resignedly 1T is the custon
Of the country and if showed the Ieast
tendency to shirk would be cut bv every
friend and relative on the island. E"
The Englislman sank back again into
ms seat. Then proposed a walk through
the corridors. We moved out slowly with
the gambler beside TomasO. and the Enc
lishman and | walking together beside
them. was rather surprised to see that
none OF the Cubans came to TOmaso's side
out learned the reason from one of them os
we walked along. He said that as TOmaso
had deliberately chosen foreigners. mean
ing US, for his associates in the troubIe
they thought it would only be courtesy IN
respect his wishes, but that they all held
themselves at his services at anv time
This was told to communicate to him Inv
the speaker, whose good breeding anna
renty prevented him from aDDroacbino
IomasO himself We moved down tbe
broad hight of stairs and into the omen
court adjoining the TacOn theatre. At tbe
same moment the other party hurried
tumultuously out of the further door and
we heard occasional slurs and gibes leveIed
at Americans and Englishmen. Including
IOur or i've limitations of how we smoke
spanish. The limitations were so dsftIv
ana cleverly made that both the Fnplisb-
man and l grinned, but the gambler and
1 Oiilaso were apparently quite unconscious
VI the lusllade OF remarks that were IeveleF
at US IL began to look as if we were in /
lor more OF row than we had at first
supposed. we were walking directly
toward inc crowd, and in the front rank !
stood the dueHist, with a sort of STAGE |
smile on his thin lips, and his eyes fi~eJ |
llrectly on the slim boy who was walking |
by the gamblers side.
had rather have had that famous Chi
;ago faro dealer and gambler fora guard /
~ IHaO hoInenC than a regiment of the |
y 5zar imperial guards. There was some
lhlng about his inmOvable face and tbe |
protecting manner in which he boveroJ /
lDout the boy that caused even the hot /
)looded and half tipsy crowd that we /
were approaching to moderate their voices
" had approached within five feet of tbe |
,rowd, VIXEN Tomaso, without n word of |
to us or any one else, spranp far
ward like cat directly into the crowd
ma, with single back handed motion,
slapped the huelist in the face with his
elt and stood where he landed. staring at
nm. The face turned crimson, and tbe |
nan gasped from sheer amazement and
stepped back pace. Then there was a
lo"l from the crowd, and the men and
women from the ball poured out of doors
MO the open court. The duelist was so
lmazed by the suddenness of the attack =
or he evidently expected that he IvonId
nave to provoke the quarrel-tbat be
pointed angrily to tall Spaniard nv bis
fde, turned on his heel and pushed biq
way back into the theatre without n word
IOlhaso, who was not flustered in tbe
east ty the crowd that was pushing and
ostling him, turned to me and raised his
iaU win meaning smile. 1 suddenly
llSc"'ercd that had been selected as n
ec0hu Ill duel The tall Spaniard bowed
md we approached each other while tho |
,,O"u y IeIl back and the gambler hurried
olnasO of toward the entrance. They
rove to our hotel and the Spaniard his
)rother the Englishman and myself went
'ut ON the Prada, stepped into carriage
lnd drove rapidly down to an all night
.luD-which was the only one open at
nat hour-where we arranged the pre-
lminaries within the hour. They were
iihple enough. Dueling swords were
'BIeeu upon as the weapons and the hour
vas 10 De O'Clock that same morning at
quleJ place on the beach two miles from
ne cemetery. The Spaniard agreed to \
'flng a surgeon, which made three spee-
ators on each side, not including the
principals. The Spaniards were courteous
md exceedingly polite in making all the
and the whole matter was
ettled within ten minutes. We Darted tn
meet again within four hours.
Inc Englshman and drove back to the
lotel and went up to the second corridor
Vhefe we discovered the man from Chi
ago stiIl smoking and leaning againsttbe
auihSs outside of his room. He looked
t us and then said;
''Well?"
:. They are to fight at O'Clock"
ANY stakesy''
both OF us grinned, but the gambler
eciiieu perfectly serious. Because, " he
ontlhued, IF there are any stakes / want
Dack this youngster right here and Iin
how you why.V
lie pulled back the futtering curtain Of
rs room. We looked in and saw To1noso
tretched out upon the bed sleeping az
weetly as a 2-year-oId child
That's what ] call nerve. - said the
,hleago man, "and limits what / like to
l think it dawned on all q us ut that
me that the affair was no longer n farce
We allowed the boy to sleeD unfu K